Spindle



F. G. KRAFT Jan. 5, 1937.

SPINDLE Original Filed Oct. 26, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNEY.

Jan. 5, 1937. F. G. KRAFT 20,229

1 SPINDLE Original Filed Oct. '26, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I E- v yjmj/gMm Reicsued Jan. 5, 1937 PATENT OFFICE SFINDLE' Frederick G. Kraft,Richmond, Va., assignor, by

mesne ten to E. 1. du. Pont. de Nemours a Company, Wilmington, Del., acorpov ration of Delaware.

dated September 4,1934,

Serial No. 695,286, October 26, 1933. Appiicaj l V tionior reissue July8-Claims.

This invention relates to the fluid treatment of materials. Theinvention also relates to sealing means. More specifically the inventionrelates to the treatment 01 thread by liquids under pressure. Theinvention particularly relates to an appa atus for treating rayon threadwound on bobbins with fluids under pressure and has speoifl'c embodimentin a bobbin and cooperating spindlehaving a sealing means operated byfluid ll-pressure. invention will be described with relation to thefluid treatment used in themanuiacture of rayon,,but it is: to beunderstoodthat it equal applicability to the fluid treatment ofbobbin-carried thread of any kind. mtheimamiiactureof rayon by one,process the newly. coagulated thread is carried -on' bobbins. It'iaconsidered: desirable to treat these packages Iithoutremoving the threadin order to avoid I ,thethread. This is accomplished by i the threadwith fluids under pressure on. bobbin. In the pressure treatment ofartificial silk, according to'the method-mentioned in paragraph 2, thesilk" is wound on perforated bobbins which are onwashing spindles byclamping or screwing compressible gaskets against the ends the bobbins.Fluids necessary to the treatment are thenforced through the spindle,the perfora tions oi'the bobbins and the thread. Difflculty isf-experieneedwhen high pressure is used (that is; pressure of. 4050pounds per squareinch) by neasmrof: leakage around, or blowing out ofthe mkets; a wasteful amormt of time is required toimeunt tthebobbinsonand toremove them from a thespindles; thegeskets are subject toexcessive wear and-frequent replacements; and-in cases wherethereisa-leaking, gasket, the washing must be stopped until the gask canbe-replaced. Inthe ecpending application of' Paul Marie [.j Bierrttt,Serial No. 533,175, filed April 27, 1931, is disclosedsone apparatuswhich overcomes many or the difliculties above described. Experience'has however, that when. water is first turnedon in the rack carryingthe bobbins the pressure may beinsufllcientjto expand all of theand'great leakagemay occur around the Meta jnntil pressure has beenbuilt up. As a result," during 'thetime in which the pressure is beingbuilt up to that requisite to close all the gasketapwater may be sprayedpast the gaskets alllover. the room. The tendency of e rubber lasketstoharden with age increases this fault 01' the Pierrat spindle.Furthermore, after the xarnhas been treated, it is sometimes difficult18,1936, Serial No. 91,435

to remove a particular bobbin because a washer "r remains expanded.

An object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for thefluid treatment of thread carried on carriers or bobbins. Another objectof the inventlonis to overcome the difliculties inherent in the Pierratdevice. Another object of the invention consists in the construction: ofa wash spindle which, by fiuidpressure, seals the ends of the bobbinsand, by fluid pressure, releases the bobbin when the washing iscomplete. Astill further object of the invention consists in themanufacture of a new and. improved ty-pe of washing spindle. Otherobjects of theinvention will be in part apparent and in-part describedelsewhere herein. I

The objects of the invention. are accomplished, generally speaking, bythe use of a washing apparatushaving means, which are both collapsibleand expansible, for. sealing the ends of the bobbin.

In thedrawings Figure l is a view partly. in section ofa washingapparatus made in accordance with the principles of my invention. Figure2-is-a sectional view similar to Figure. 1. Figure 315:9, plan view ofawash rack showing the pres.- sure and vacuum pumps. Figure 4 is alongitudinalsection through the sleeve portion of the apparatus.Figurefi is a cross section of the sleeve portion of the apparatus.Figure 6 are views showing, in section, the sealing ring.

Referring to. the numerals of the drawings, I is a pipe of a wash rack.In practice a number of these pipes. are mountedin vertical alinement. His. a. vertical pipe forming the end pipe of a washingrack; I2 is avacuum pump; I3 is a pressure pump; |2| is avalve; I3l is avalve; I22 isa pipe connecting the pumps to. the wash rack; 2.refers in general to abobbin wound with thread.

When pressure less than atmospheric is wanted in the wash rack, the pumpI3 is stopped, the valve l 3l'is closed, valve l2l is opened, and pumpl2.ii s started. If it is desired to force a fluid into the rack, thevalve l2l is closed, the vacuum pump is stopped, valve I3l is opened,and pump I3 is connected. to the proper fluid and. is started.

2| is a metal bobbin having perforations 22 and imperforate ends. Inspinning, as is customary in this art, the thread is wound about theperfor ated part of the bobbin so as to overlap the imperforate ends.

3 is a wash spindle connected, as by a screw thread, to a, pipe I of thewash rack; 3| is a sleeve fitting over the spindle; 32 are annuli nearthe ends of the sleeve; 33 are holes in the sleeve leading from .theinterior of the sleeve'to the annuli;

34 are annular shoulders in the sleeve designed to fit fluid-tightagainst shoulders 34! of the spindle and 342 of the end piece; 35 areholes through the sleeve to permit the passage of fluid from theinterior to the outside of the sleeve; 36 is a rubber band fitting, inan annular depression provided therefor, over the holes 35; 3| l aregrooves extending circumferentially of the sleeve; 3|! are groovesextending longitudinally of the sleeve and intersecting grooves 3| I; 31is an end piece for the spindle having annular shoulder 342 capable ofmaking a fluid-tight flt with shoulder 34 of the sleeve; 38 areflexible, ring-shaped tubes; 38I are tubular projections in the tubes ofa size to approximately fit the holes 33 of the sleeve. The flexibleannular tubes 38 are of a diameter in their normal condition slightlygreater than the interior diameter of the bobbins which are to betreated on the spindle.

The apparatus functions as follows: The wash rack is assembled in amanner which will be understood by those acquainted with the art; thespindles are mounted on the'rack; the sleeves 3| are put into positionon the spindles and are held by the end pieces 31; either before orafter mounting the sleeves on the spindles the flexible tubes 38 aremounted in the annular depressions at the ends of the sleeves. Thespindle is now in condition for operation. When all the spindles havebeen mounted on the rack, the air is partially exhausted within thesystem by turning on the suction pump; the rubber bands, which cover theholes 35 in the sleeve, act as a valve preventing the ingress of air;the flexible tubes 38 collapse, as shown in Figure 1, and the bobbinscan be easily slid into place.

The vacuum pump is now stopped; the valve l2l is closed; and the valve|3l is opened. The pressure within the wash rack is now equalized andthe tubes resume their normal shape. Being slightly larger than theinterior diameter of the bobbin, they form a seal which prevents suchfluid as may be forced into the spindle by the pump I 3 from lealnngpast the ends of the bobbin. The pump I3 is now started and forcesfluid, for instance wash water, through the pipe I22, rack ll, pipe I,and into the interior of the spindle. The spindle is provided with holes33 through which the fluid is forced. The sleeve 3| is somewhat largerin its interior diameter than the portion of the spindle which itcovers. As a consequence, the space between the spindle and the sleeveis filled with the fluid, which passes through hole 35, forces its waypast the rubber band valve, and on through the holes of the bobbin andthrough the rayon or other thread which is carried on the bobbin. Thefluid between the spindle and the sleeve also enters the holes 33 of thesleeve and fills the interior of the flexible tubes, as shown in Figure2, forcing them very tightly against the bobbin and forming a pressureseal which continues so long as the fluid is forced through the thread.When the treatment is finished, and the bobbin is to be withdrawn, thepressure pump is cut off from the rack, the vacuum pump is turned on,the fluid within the rack is removed, and the rings are collapsed sothat the bobbin can be removed without difllculty.

Many modifications of this invention are possible. For instance, thetube may be of rubber or of any other suitable flexible material. Thefluid forced through the system may be any gas or any liquid. Thematerial treated may be thread or any other pervious material which canbe held on the surface of a bobbin when there is pressure within. Themethod of filling and exhausting the rack is shown for illustrativepurposes only. Many other systems could be substituted for it.

An advantage of the invention is that a washing apparatus is providedwhich seals the ends of the thread carrier before pressure is turned onfrom within, preventing the escape of fluid past the sealing rings.Another advantage of the invention is that the apparatus can be easilydismantled and cleaned. Another advantage of the invention is in thesaving of large quantities of treating fluids, compared to the Pierratinvention heretofore disclosed. Other advantages of the invention willbe in part apparent and in part elsewhere herein described.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to beunderstood that I do not limit myself to the specific embodimentsthereof except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: r

1. In an apparatus for the fluid treatment of thread, a hollowperforated thread holder, a. hollow perforated spindle to carry thethread holder, means for reducing the pressure within the spindle to bebelow the pressure outside thespindle, means for forcing liquid underpressure through the thread holder, and means for sealing the ends ofthe thread holder comprising flexible tubes of slightly greater diameterthan the interiordiameter of the thread holder encircling the spindle atpoints adjacent the thread holder ends, means connecting the interior ofthe tubes with the interior of the spindle whereby the tubes may becollapsed or put under interior pressure according to the pressureexisting within the spindle, and a flexible rubber band covering thesaid perforations in the spindle to permit fluid to be forced throughthe thread holder but closing'the perforations of the spindle when theinterior of the spindle is under reduced pressure.

2. In an apparatus for the fluid treatment of thread, a hollowperforated thread holder, a hollow perforated spindle to carry thethread holder, means for reducing the pressure within the spindle belowthe pressure outside the spindle, means for forcing liquid underpressure through the spindle and means for sealing the ends of thethread holder comprising flexible tubes of slightly greater diameterthan the interior diameter of the thread holder encircling the spindleat points adjacent the thread holder ends, means connecting the interiorof the tubes with the interior of the spindle whereby the interiorpressure of the spindle will tend to change the size of the tube, andflexible means covering the said perforations in the spindle.

3. In an apparatus for the fluid treatment of thread, a hollowperforated thread holder, to

carry the thread holder a hollow spindle having perforations closed by aone-way valve which can be opened outwardly by pressure within thespindle, means for reducing the pressure within the spindle below thepressure outside the spindle,

4. In an apparatus for the fluid treatment of f thread on a perforatedbobbin in which fluid is simultaneously passed through a fluid pressureexpansible means for sealing the ends of said bobbin and to a conduitleading to the internal surface of said bobbin, means associated withsaid conduit for preventing the e of fluidexpansible means for sealingthe ends of said bobbin and to a conduit leading to the internalsurfaceof said bobbin, yieldable means associated with said conduit forpreventing the passage of fluid through said conduit until the saidexpansible means has been actuated.

6. In an apparatus for thefluid treatment of thread on a perforatedbobbin in which fluid is simultaneously passed through a fluid-pressureexpansible means for sealing the ends of said bobbin and to a conduitleading to the internal surface of said bobbin, a yieldable bandassociated with said conduit for preventing the passage of fluid throughsaid conduit until thesaid expansible means has been actuated.

'7. In an apparatus for the fluid treatment of thread on a perforatedbobbin in which fluid is simultaneously passed through a fluid pressureexpansible means for sealing the ends of said bobbin and to a conduitleading to the internal surface of said bobbin, a rubber band associatedwith said conduit for preventing the passage of fluid through saidconduit until the said expansible means has been actuated.

8. In an apparatus for the fluid treatment of thread, a hollowperforated thread holder, a hollow perforated spindle to carry thethread holder, means for forcing liquid under pressure through thethread holder, and means for sealing the ends of the thread holdercomprising flexible tubes of slightly greater diameter than the interiordiameter of the thread holder encircling the spindle at points adjacentthe thread holder ends, means connecting the interior of the tubes withthe interior of the spindle whereby the tubes may be put under interiorpressure according to the pressure existing within the spindle, and aflexible rubber band covering the said perforations in the spindle topermit fluid to be forced through the thread holder but closing theperforations of the spindle when the interior of the spindle is underreduced pressure.

FREDERICK G. KRAF'I.

